Planning commission approves rezoning request for collision center

A new location for Joe Hudson Collision Center is set to open along the 280 corridor.

At the June 20 Shelby County Planning Commission meeting, the commission approved a rezoning request to permit the auto body repair shop to open along Champion Boulevard.

The request was submitted by Rosemary Boike of Huntcorp Realty, who was representing Traweek Dickson on behalf of Joe Hudson Collision Center, and it asked to rezone the 1.14 acre lot from office and industrial district to general business district.

The lot currently houses Airwalk Ultimate Trampoline Arena, which has a large warehouse-style building that Joe Hudson Collision Center plans to renovate to house the repair shop, Boike said. The shop would include between four and six bays for repairs, and they would update the façade of the building, she said. Boike also provided photos of other Joe Hudson Collision Center locations, including ones they built up and others they refaced.

“We always go in and improve,” Boike said.

The location would have to meet requirements for screening and landscaping, said Principal Planner Kristine Goddard, including shadowed fencing to ensure vehicles on site for repair would not be seen from public right of way.

Planning commissioner Rachel Garrett asked how many cars would be on site at a time, and Boike said she estimated it would be very few, but could not say for sure.

“They’re in the business of getting them [cars] in and getting them out,” she said.

The planning commission unanimously approved the rezoning request.

Also at the meeting, the planning commission approved a conditional use request for Backyard Adventures. The request was submitted by Jeff Beabout of Backyard Solutions LLC to allow for the outdoor display and sale of playground equipment in a general business district.

The request was for a property on U.S. 280, located behind the RaceWay near Walmart and the Brook Highland shopping center.

“We do have provisions for outdoor sales of vehicles, trailers and used cars, but we don’t have an exact provision for playground equipment, which is what his primary business is and why he is before you for conditional use at this time,” Goddard said.

Beabout’s business is currently located on Meadowlark Drive, adjacent to the same Walmart, but that property has been sold, and he is planning to relocate to the new lot. Garrett said she thought Beabout’s current location on Meadowlark Drive “always looks very nice,” and he responded to say the new location will look even better.

The planning commission unanimously approved the request.

The commission also approved a re-subdivision of a lot located off of Highway 49 and Highway 109 in Columbiana. The 4.88 acre lot located in Chelsea South Estates would be re-subdivided into two lots. The planning commission unanimously approved the request.

Planning commissioner Amy Smith was absent from the meeting.